Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

Scenario A: At the end of a long day of sightseeing, you're in a foreign country, sitting on your hotel bed with your laptop pulled up and the free WiFi working its magic. You're in a modern city, in a modern hotel, bottled water is at the ready, and all seems right with the world, despite being 12,000 miles from home. When you check your email, you see a message from the US Embassy in the city you're visiting. "Notice to US Citizens," it begins. You are advised that in light of recent political events (which have nothing to do with you or your trip), there might be some local backlash and protests are expected in the vicinity of your hotel. You take a quick glance at your itinerary and see that you're due to depart when the protests are about to begin, and hope that your luck holds out and the airports will remain open. Within days of your departure back to the States, you turn on CNN to see that city erupt in flames, riots in the streets, people gunned down on the sidewalks, the subway system has come to a halt, and the hotel you stayed in has recently been evacuated and the entire neighborhood is shut down.

What would you do if you hadn't left when you did? Where would you go? Where would you stay? How would you contact your family? Would they know where you are, if you're safe? What if the local US embassy had a safe house for you, or arranged transportation out of the city for all US citizens?

Scenario B: You're traveling in a non-industrialized nation and there's a massive earthquake. All standard communications to the US have been cut off. Does your family know where you are? Are you safe? Has your building suffered damage? How do you get word back to the US about your condition and safety? How does the US even know how many citizens are in that country that need assistance and evacuation?

Scenario C: You're hiking along the border of two nations when you're confronted by the local police. They take you into custody and imprison you for an indeterminate amount of time. You're not able to contact your family, and they haven't heard from you in days. How do they know where you are and what happened? They can opt to contact the local embassy and inquire on your last whereabouts and negotiate for your release.

If you register with the US State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), your location, contact info, and travel plans would be known only to the embassy, your family, and you can elect to have your itinerary known to your Congressmen and the media (or not). The embassy would know how to find you, and your family could contact the State Department to learn if you were safe or not. They can also issue instructions about where to evacuate, where to find supplies, assistance for citizens, and other useful information in case of an emergency. All of the above scenarios aren't fictional, they've all happened, and the first scenario I was faced with in Southeast Asia. Due to the regular travel advisories that the embassies send, I was able to be more vigilant of our surroundings and was able to make alternate plans if necessary. Likewise, I knew that my family would be notified if I were in an emergency situation and that I wasn't alone in the world.

Consider the STEP program a vital part of your international travel plans. Like packing your passport and earplugs, take a few moments to register your itinerary online for free peace-of-mind.